John Hill comes every week with a group of students from a local elementary school. These third and fourth graders may occasionally drag their feet when coming, but John says, none of them want to leave the ranch once they are there. The calm, welcoming environment of Narrow Gate and the volunteers made an impression on both John and his students. “Everyone gets a chance to speak. And, nobody is making fun of anybody,” said John.
John recalled a valuable lesson his students experienced in one of their Monday classes, “One impactful lesson was called, ‘Everyone Makes Mistakes’. That was so good for these kids.” He described these youngsters as struggling to be okay when making mistakes. He described the school environment as one that can sometimes feel competitive, and kids are often insecure. “At the ranch, kids are all at the same level. They are all learning together. And, even though they are there as a group, kids still get that one-on-one participation too,” John explained.
The students had to lead the horses to step over a white pvc pipe. While some horses did it and others hesitated, each of the students succeeded in addressing the horses’ needs and navigating the horse in a way that was best for the horse and themselves. These types of activities help students to think through situations, learn to think outside the box, and adjust expectations.
John said that at the ranch, “Kids are learning about horses, themselves, and Jesus. They are seeing people who care, who are being patient. They even repeat the same thing over and over again. Maybe even some parents don’t do that.”
John continued, “Many of these kids honestly won’t be in church ever except for a wedding or a funeral. And often at church, we are talking about Jesus walking on the water or healing people. But, at the ranch, they tie Jesus in with the kids. They can see Jesus as a team player… caring and patient.”
I asked John what he wished others knew about NGHR. He said, “I wish churches and schools knew what happens out there. I wish they knew it is a win-win. Some kids just play sports, or play an instrument, but doing something with these animals…you just never know what spark might start in a kid.”
-Emily Pier